Survey of Satisfaction and Utility of an Application to Find Inconsistencies in Trauma Registry Data

Data quality is essential for trauma registries, but few tools have been developed to maximize it. The author's center created a new application to automatically identify >500 logic errors in registry data and produce individualized data quality reports for staff. Objective metrics indicated the application is effective, but staff perceptions were unknown. The aim of this project was to assess registry staff satisfaction with and perceived usefulness of the new application.

Anonymous cross-sectional online survey with 5-point Likert scales and free-text responses.

Of 10 eligible staff members who use the new application, 8 responded to the survey. Confidence in data accuracy before the new application was generally low but unanimously higher after implementation (8/8; 95% CI, 5/8-8/8). Respondents found the application at least somewhat helpful overall (6/6; 95% CI, 3/6-6/6; 2 nonresponses), with 5/6 finding it very helpful. Respondents were at least somewhat satisfied with the new application (8/8; 95% CI, 5/8-8/8), with 4/8 being very satisfied. There was minimal negative feedback other than the new process being initially overwhelming.

Respondents found the new application to be beneficial in several ways, including indirectly. Additional research is needed to be able to generalize these single center findings and determine best practices for data validation, but software-based approaches to augment more common data validation processes may be a beneficial and welcomed job aid for registry staff.